


Festival

by FallingArcanist



Category: Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Carnival Games, Dancing, Festivals, Fluff, Idiots in Love, It's just cute tbh, Kinda, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romantic Gestures, Wingwoman Moonwatcher, but she's there!, moonwatcher kinda just. dipped a lot of times lmao, these dragons? gay, they eat fruit... munch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:22:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26207881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallingArcanist/pseuds/FallingArcanist
Summary: Qibli takes Winter and Moonwatcher to the annual Peace Festival at the Scorpion Den. Moonwatcher senses some romantic tension and wanders off a few times to leave her friends to do their own thing.- Old and not beta read! -
Relationships: Moonwatcher & Qibli & Winter (Wings of Fire), Qibli/Winter (Wings of Fire)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 77





	Festival

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, it's Archie! This is a rewrite of a oneshot I did on wattpad back in 2019! I remembered it and thought, 'hey, why don't I do that again?'
> 
> I hope qinter is still alive and well lmao, I spent way too long on this for it to be a dead ship and I haven't checked.
> 
> Enjoy! <3

“I just don’t get why you had to drag us to the _desert_ of all places,” Winter complained.

His spiked tail dragged lazily through the sand as he trudged along. It was cool at night, but it was still the hottest place in all of Pyrrhia. The IceWing walked awkwardly, sinking into the unfamiliar terrain every other step. He hated how stray grains of sand would get stuck between the ridges of his serrated claws, voicing his protest with a dramatic sigh every time it happened and making a big deal out of picking them out. Moonwatcher seemed to be in the same boat, but she wasn’t particularly vocal about how she felt about the sand.

Qibli, on the other talon, was prancing about almost gracefully. He knew how to keep his weight balanced, placing his talons lightly as opposed to how Winter and Moon were stomping. He contemplated mimicking Qibli’s method, but ultimately decided he didn’t want to make a fool of himself just yet.

“Calm down, Winter,” Moon chimed in, attempting to lighten the mood, “I’m sure we’re almost there, right Qibli?”

“Actually,” Qibli said, “yes we are! Look!” 

The SandWing stopped in his tracks, letting the others catch up to him. Once Moon and Winter were next to him, he gestured vaguely to a blocky shape in the distance. They were viewing the entire Scorpion Den from over a large dune. From where they were standing, which was about a mile away, all that could be seen was the vague border of the place which was brimming with light.

Winter squinted at it. “Why are we here, exactly? I never got an explanation, sand snorter.” he sneered, sticking his nose up at Qibli.

“I told you! This is the Peace Festival! We have it in the Scorpion Den every year to celebrate the diversity of all tribes, yadda yadda-”

“I know what the festival is!” Winter snapped. “Why did you bring us, though?”

“Because it’s fun! Right, Moon? I took you here last year.”

The NightWing nodded. Qibli had taken her the year before, and he would have taken Winter too, but the IceWing had ‘more formal matters’ to attend to. She remembered the longing tone of Qibli’s thoughts the whole night, which became annoying after the first fifteen times. Having to hear _‘It would be better if Winter was here…’_ every five minutes gets redundant.

“It _is_ fun, Winter,” she said, “just wait, there are all sorts of fun games to play; even a dance later on-”

“Royals don’t play games.”

Moonwatcher rolled her eyes. She knew full well just how excited Winter was; his thoughts were brimming with joy. Winter hadn’t been to any festivities since he was just three years old, according to his inner monologue. She also noticed a particular fondness when Winter thought of Qibli bringing him to the dance she mentioned, which made her snicker.

“Pff, yeah right,” the SandWing spoke, “I bet you played tag or something all the time with other dragonets.”

“I did not! That would be completely informal of me.”

Moon concluded that was a lie.

“You two are just too much,” she giggled. “Hey, I’m going to stay back to watch the stars, ok? You guys go on ahead.” Moonwatcher noted the way their minds immediately raced when she said it. Oh, they had it _bad_ for each other, didn’t they?

Qibli nodded, spreading his speckled wings. “Alright, we’ll see you soon.” he then turned his head to Winter, smirking, “Race ya to the Scorpion Den!” he shouted, then sprang off of the dune in a graceful leap without waiting for a response.

Winter’s face flushed cerulean as he furrowed his brow. He waved a quick goodbye to Moon before chasing after Qibli in a much more uncoordinated way. He flapped his wings violently to catch up, being careful to dodge the tip of Qibli’s pointed tail while midair.

“Hey!” he yelled, “You can’t just do that-”

Qibli dipped below Winter, soaring at a steady pace. “I sure can! What’re you gonna do about it, _princess_?” 

Winter nearly choked at the nickname, growling quietly. “I’ll... I don’t know yet, but it’ll be bad!”

Qibli let out an amused chuckle at that. The two continued to fly through the crisp night air, feeling it nip at the underside of their wings. It was pleasant.

* * *

Eventually, they made it to the Scorpion Den, Winter winning the race, having touched down first. The IceWing landed near the entrance, but almost tumbled right over. He stumbled on the uneven, loose sand, huffing cold air through his nose.

“Still not used to the sand?” Qibli taunted, earning him a long-winded groan from his friend in response.

“Whatever. Can we go inside now?” Winter asked, shaking the sand off his talons one at a time. He was more than annoyed by how tedious it was walking in the desert. He was grateful to see that the Scorpion Den had what appeared to be a more solid floor.

“Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about the festival with you complaining like that. Let’s go!” Qibli cheered. He brushed his wing with Winter’s, grinning widely, then ran through the gate. Winter followed close behind, deciding to ignore the contact. 

Upon seeing the interior of the Scorpion Den, his mouth went agape with a small gasp. The IceWing’s blue eyes darted around; it was beautiful. The lanterns lighting up the place hung on ropes strung from the rooftops of buildings and cast a warm amber glow on everything. Combined with the banners and bustling atmosphere, it was a sight to see.

Qibli, noticing Winter’s staring, spoke up. “It is pretty cool, isn’t it?” Winter only nodded.

“So… what do you want to do first? We’ve got all night.”

Winter blinked in confusion. “Aren’t you the one that goes here every year?” he asked, “I don’t even know what they have set up.”

“Oh-” Qibli laughed at his mistake. “Well, like Moon said, there are a bunch of games and stuff.”

“Very clear, Qibli,” Winter deadpanned before laughing as well. The SandWing’s laugh had always been contagious. “Why don’t you find a game to play, then? I’d love to watch you lose.”

“I wouldn’t lose! I’ll have you know that I haven’t lost a game in four years.”

“Not one?”

“Never.”

Winter felt himself grin, and his face felt particularly cooler as he looked at Qibli, who was grinning just the same. The SandWing looked away, chuckling softly.

“Anyway,” Qibli spoke, “I do have a favorite game here. I always win it.”

“Sure you do. Lead the way, sand snorter.” the way the IceWing said the nickname didn’t go unnoticed. It was in a kinder tone than usual, which made Qibli’s heart flutter. He nodded, turning to weave his way through the lively crowd of dragons. He recognized a few faces, smiling at them in a silent greeting.

They made it to a small booth advertising a game of ring toss. It was run by a large deep blue SeaWing who leaned on the counter to peer at Qibli and Winter.

Her voice was gruff, and she spoke with an accent Winter couldn’t place. “Ello, younglin’s! What’re ya lookin’ to do for tonight?

Winter sat back and watched as the SandWing took hold of the conversation. “I’d like to play a standard game, please. Just the basics.” 

“Ah, I hear ya,” she said, then placed three brass rings atop the counter. “Alrighty, ya might know the rules, but I’ll tell ‘em, anyway. If ya get one of these rings over a vase on yonder, ya get a prize. Get all three, ya get a better one. All clear?” she emphasized ‘prize’ by jingling the contents of a leather pouch around her neck with a playful wink.

Qibli nodded, “clear as day,” he chirped.

The IceWing peered at the rings, then at the vases. The vases in question were thin and tall, made of what looked like terracotta. They were colorful and had intricate designs covering them, ranging from picturing flowers to lizards and insects. There were five of them set up in a cluster on top of a crate set off to the side.

“Are you sure you can do that, Qibli?” he pondered out loud, to which Qibli smirked.

“Watch,” he said, then sat down, staring down the vases with one closed eye. He grabbed one ring, lined up his shot, flicked his wrist, and sent the ring flying. It landed just on the lip of a vase in the back, spinning wildly down it with a soft whirring noise.

“Well, I guess you can,” Winter said, dumbfounded. The SeaWing running the booth clapped her webbed talons together and leaned her elbow on the counter.

“Wanna stop now, or are ya goin’ for the big prize? Your choice.” she cooed, gesturing to her pouch.

“Big prize, I can do it, easy,” Qibli said. He confidently grabbed another ring and with another quick flick of his wrist, it was already rattling its way down another vase. He turned his head to look at Winter, grinning.

The SeaWing smiled, then pushed the third right further toward the edge of the counter. 

“Good job!” she praised, then gestured to Winter. “Why don’t ya give your boyfriend a try?”

Winter jolted and flushed about the same shade of blue as the SeaWing. “We- we aren’t-” he stuttered, soon cut off by Qibli’s joyous laugh.

“Why not?” he asked, “here, _babe_ , let me show you how to throw the ring.”

He slinked behind the IceWing, pushing him slightly closer to the vases. Winter shuddered as his entire body felt a couple degrees colder. He snatched the ring from the counter and flashed a weak smile to the SeaWing. She seemed awfully oblivious to the tension she’d created, or perhaps she knew. The small smirk on her face was no indicator.

He froze up as he felt Qibli gently kick his tail to the side. The SandWing sat right next to Winter, stretching his wing to drape it lazily over his friend’s back. Qibli moved to grip Winter’s wrist gently and guide it closer to his chest. He felt Winter’s muscle tense, seeming uncomfortable. He nudged the IceWing’s shoulder lightly, turning his head to make eye contact.

“Relax, you’re fine,” he said, smiling warmly. Qibli’s smile in combination with the light dusting of pink on his yellowish scales made Winter feel fuzzy and somewhat more at ease, but he couldn’t rationalize with himself why. They were just friends, right? Just clawmates. Why did a joke about them dating make him feel that way?

Qibli’s voice tugged him back into reality. “Here, position your talon like this,” he held his talon out sideways, then snapped it to the side, “then do that to throw it.”

He looked down and saw how the SandWing showed the move. He mimicked it; it felt comfortable. The IceWing looked back over to the vases and closed one eye akin to how Qibli did before.

“You got it?” Qibli asked. Winter nodded, taking in a breath as Qibli’s warm wing hugged tighter around him. Qibli didn’t intend to hug winter from the side like that; he concluded the action to be out of pure reflex. Despite that, it felt more than right to him, so he let the topic free from his thoughts.

“Go for it.”

At that, Winter flicked his wrist sharply, holding his breath as he watched the ring soar to the vases. It pinged against one in the front, which caused the ring to ricochet to another. It finally caught on the lip of a vase in the back, stalling for a moment, before plummeting down it.

Qibli jumped back, flapping his wings in excitement. “Woah!” he cheered, “you did it, Winter!”

The IceWing grinned, turning to Qibli. He may have had a reputation to uphold, but he didn’t mind excusing himself feeling bubbly just this once.

“Congratulations! Ya won the big prize, good job, kiddo.” the SeaWing said, grabbing another small pouch from behind the booth, this one made from brown cloth. She pulled out a woven leather band with gold accents, handing it to Qibli.

“It’s a bracelet, have a good rest of the night, you two!” she said, and Qibli smiled.

“You too!” he spoke, then looked to Winter. He gestured with his wing for the beaming IceWing to follow, which he did.

The two walked to a more empty area that wasn’t too far away, then sat down. 

“I’m impressed you could do that, Winter. Usually, only I can.” Qibli quipped. Winter snorted, replying in a smug tone,

“It’s just natural talent, I suppose,” he held up his talon and flexed it for dramatic effect. They both started laughing, however, seeing Winter’s wrist prompted Qibli to remember something and stop.

“Oh wait, I forgot-” he held the bracelet out to Winter, showing him. “This is for you.”

Winter blinked at him. “What? You won it, though.”

“Right, I’m giving it to you. As a gift.” Qibli said, smiling at the way Winter’s eyes widened.

“I- I don’t know if I can accept that-” he stammered, yelping quietly in surprise when Qibli grabbed his arm to tie the bracelet onto him. Winter was _sure_ he had told Qibli that gift-giving was a romantic gesture in IceWing culture; he told him a while ago. Qibli didn’t forget, did he?

The SandWing was well aware of what he was doing. He let Winter’s talon down and admired his work before speaking.

“I just thought it was super cool how you got the last one, plus, you’re my friend! Why wouldn’t I give you a gift?” he asked innocently, smiling brightly. 

Winter could sense how obvious his blushing was, curse his pale scales. He turned his head away, mumbling a quick “thank you.”

Qibli was about to speak again but stopped when he heard the footsteps of another dragon. His large ears perked up as he turned his head toward the direction of the sound. “Oh! Hey, Moon!” he chirped. Winter smiled at her.

“Hey guys!” she said, “I finally found you- what’d you guys do while I was gone?”

“We only played one game, so… not much happened,” Winter said with a small lash of his tail. 

Moon shot him a glance. “Hmm?” she hummed, continuing in a teasing tone, “I thought royals didn’t play games, Winter! What happened with that rule?”

The IceWing stuck up his nose, turning his head to the side. “Whatever,” he said.

“Pff, you guys are so stupid.” Qibli chuckled, rolling his eyes playfully, “also, I gave Winter the bracelet I won!”

“Oh? Can I see it, Winter?”

Winter sighed, raising his arm. He let his wrist fall limp as Moonwatcher examined it.

“It’s beautiful,” she said, catching Qibli’s quick thought of _‘not as beautiful as Winter.’_ she rolled her eyes involuntarily, thankful that they didn’t notice.

Qibli cleared his throat. “So, when did you decide to come over?”

“Not too long ago,” she said, “you tend to get bored with looking at stars quite quickly. I _did_ see a comet, but that was about it.”

“Ah,” Winter said. “Did you play any games at all?” 

“Nope. When I got in, I just walked around and looked at the art displays. Not to mention I was looking for you guys.” the NightWing giggled. They stayed in comfortable silence for a moment. Moonwatcher looked to the side and closed her eyes when she felt a vision clawing at the back of her mind, letting herself view it. 

The vision was vague and blurry, mostly composed of splotchy colors. It showed what she assumed to be the far end of the Scorpion Den decorated with festive banners. There were what looked to be five dragons perched on a makeshift stage, all of them playing a different instrument. Moon was confused at first, tilting her head and furrowing her brow. She realized shortly that the scene playing out was of the dance. Her eyes fluttered open as she turned to her friends with a smile.

“Hey! The dance is soon, I think they’re getting ready.”

Qibli gasped, saying, “oh, by the moons! Thanks for the reminder- are you going?”

“I think I’ll just sit and listen to the music they’ll play. You two could dance, though!”

Qibli considered it, grinning. “That could be fun!” he said, then looked at Winter. “You wanna?”

Winter shrugged and nodded. “Might as well.”

Moon smirked.

* * *

After a short trek across the festival, the three dragons were finally at the area reserved for the dance. It was vast; the organizers of the event had cleared it out in advance to make room for the stage, banners, and a few vendors.

“Here we are, guys!” Qibli announced, “nice, isn’t it?”

“I suppose so. How long until it starts?” Winter asked.

“In about twenty minutes, I think,” Moonwatcher said.

Qibli confirmed with a nod. “Yeah, it’ll be soon. There are some more booths around to pass the time, if you want,” he offered.

“Maybe we could find some snacks? I’m starving.” the IceWing mentioned. Qibli nodded.

“That sounds cool. Moonwatcher, do you want to come?”

Moon blinked at them, reading their minds cautiously before speaking, “Nah, I’ll leave you to it. I’m going to sit by the stage. If you need me, holler.” she winked subtly to Qibli as she turned to slink away, chuckling in amusement at the immediate frantic thoughts from the SandWing that followed.

Noticing Qibli’s general embarrassment, Winter peered at him. “What’s wrong?” he asked, to which Qibli responded with,

“Ah- nothing! It’s all cool. So, you wanted food, right?” Winter nodded with a small giggle.

“Yeah, I just said that, sand snorter.” he smiled. “Let’s go?”

“Let’s.”

The two dragons walked a short distance, occasionally stopping to look at other booths or the many colorful banners. Soon enough, Qibli gestured to a booth run by a vibrant pink and green RainWing boasting many hibiscus lei.

“That booth has fruit.” He looked to Winter. “Wanna get some?”

“Fruit?” the IceWing pondered for a moment. “I rarely get to eat any, so, sure,” he said.

“Sounds good to me.”

Qibli was the first to arrive at the booth, Winter following close behind. They looked up at the RainWing; behind him were several medium-sized crates filled with various fruits. Swirls of teal intrigue peeled from his face and dripped slowly down his chest as he leaned over the counter.

“Hello, there!” he grinned toothily, showing off a shiny, lonesome gold fang that looked a bit too big for his jaws. His lip caught awkwardly on it, making his expression seem crooked. He leaned back and gestured to his crates, “I’ve got all kinds of fruit here. What would you like?”

Qibli looked to Winter, nodding as an invitation for his friend to request first.

“May I have a banana and a peach, please?” Winter asked, “anything you want, Qibli?”

“Oh, I’ll have some raspberries.”

The RainWing nodded, “alrighty!” he chirped. He grabbed a basket and turned to the crates of fruit, gingerly taking out a banana, a peach, and a large talonful of the berries. He placed them gently into the basket, making sure not to cut or bruise the fruits. He turned back to the two dragons, handing the basket to Winter. “There you are!”

“Thank you!” Qibli said, and Winter smiled.

“Of course! No need to return the basket, I can always make more. Have a good one!” the RainWing flashed his wonky smile again, waving a cheerful goodbye. The two dragons nodded, then walked back to the dance area. They found a less crowded spot behind a building and sat down, placing the basket between them.

Winter grabbed the banana, slicing the delicate peel easily with his claw. He cut off a slice of the fruit and popped it into his mouth, observing that Qibli had already eaten three of his raspberries. As the IceWing cut another slice of the banana, he looked up to the stars. There were hues of dusty purple painted on the night sky as if it were a canvas; the moons bright slivers of blank space, like somebody dragged their claw through the wet paint to scrape it off.

“Beautiful night tonight,” he mumbled. Qibli glanced up to the sky, then down at Winter. The SandWing agreed that the sky was pretty, but not as gorgeous as the way the moonlight reflected from Winter’s baby blue scales. He smiled, putting another raspberry into his mouth and gulping it.

“Not as beautiful as you,” he stated, grinning when he saw Winter’s face flush.

“Ah,” the IceWing looked off to the side, choosing to ignore the pang of _something_ he felt in his chest. Assuming Qibli was joking, he added, “you- you’re funny.” He tossed the rest of the banana into his mouth nonchalantly, folding the peel neatly and placing it in the basket.

The SandWing frowned slightly; he didn’t mean for what he said to sound like a joke. He worried that he was too forward, so he dropped it. He ate another raspberry and watched Winter’s movements. His friend grabbed the peach next, bringing it up to his mouth and taking a small bite from it. A bit of juice dribbled down his chin before he reached his other talon up to wipe it away.

“Could I have a bite?” Qibli asked, then internally smacked himself. He hoped that didn’t sound weird.

“What? Why don’t you get your own?” Winter sounded strangely bitter, making Qibli’s ears droop.

“I don’t want to walk all the way back,” the SandWing said, “just a small bite… please?”

“You have raspberries still.” Winter deadpanned, taking another bite from his peach.

Qibli blinked. He peered into the basket, seeing two more. “Oh, I do,” he said, “do you want one?”

“What?” Winter repeated himself, “I have my own fruit-”

“I know, but sharing is caring, isn’t it?” Qibli smiled weakly at his friend, who blushed again with a huff from his nose.

“ _Fine_ , just give me the berry.” the IceWing held out his talon limply, and Qibli put a raspberry right in his palm.

“There you go!”

Winter rolled his eyes, eating the red berry. He was feeling fuzzy again, which he wasn’t a fan of, but it was quickly replaced with a giggly feeling when he saw the SandWing toss his raspberry into the air and attempt to catch it in his mouth. Qibli missed the berry, and it splatted right on the front of his beak.

“Ack-” Qibli complained; he flicked his black tongue out from his mouth and rolled it over his beak, wiping the raspberry off. “That was bad.”

Winter’s bitter mood melted completely, he was holding his talon to his mouth again, this time to stifle a laugh. “You’re such an idiot, Qibli,” he said, and Qibli blushed.

“You’re more of an idiot! Can I have a bite of that peach now that I’ve been your royal jester?”

Winter rolled his eyes again with a dramatized groan, “ugh, _fine_ , here.” he passed the peach to Qibli, who immediately snapped his jaws and took a massive bite from the same area he had been eating from.

“Hey!” the IceWing shouted, snatching his peach back. Qibli swallowed his bite and wiped the extra juice from his mouth, bursting into a fit of laughter.

“You should have seen the look on your face!” the SandWing cheered, wiping a tear from his eye as he watched Winter grimace down at his mangled fruit.

“You just ruined my peach,” Winter said, his tone was laced with faux sadness. “I can’t believe you would do this to my _peach_ , Qibli!” as he spoke, he giggled between words, eventually laughing with the SandWing at the same volume. He nearly doubled over, panting.

“Three moons, Qibli, my stomach hurts from laughing,” he whined, to which Qibli giggled more.

As their laughs died down, they fell into a comfortable silence. Eventually, Qibli broke this silence.

“Can I have the rest of your peach?”

Winter scoffed. “Is all you care about taking what’s mine?” he joked. “Sure, you can have it.” he handed what was left of the peach to Qibli, who gratefully threw it into his mouth and chomped down on it. As the SandWing ate, Winter mentioned,

“When was the dance again?”

Qibli swallowed the peach and put a claw to his chin, pondering. “Um… about five minutes, I think?”

“We should probably head over, hm?”

Qibli nodded and stood up, Winter doing the same. Without another word, they walked closer to the stage, tossing the basket into a trash barrel on the way. Perched upon it was five dragons; each with a different instrument they were tuning. The most prominent of the dragons was a scarlet SkyWing wearing a bounty of gold. She spread her wings, craning her neck outward.

“The dance will begin shortly!” she announced. The bangles on her wrists clanged against each other in a pleasant chime. “Please get to where you’d like to dance early!”

Qibli looked around and saw Moonwatcher; she flashed a grin and waved him off from where she was sitting. The SandWing looked to Winter next, bowing down mockingly.

“May I have this dance?” he said, a faux smugness lacing his words.

Winter chuckled and spread his wings loosely, his response a genuine, “absolutely.”

They laughed and walked to an open area, and the minutes ticked by quickly with the added chaos of dragons bustling about and speaking over each other loudly. The SkyWing stood on her hind legs, holding her instrument of choice; a tambourine.

“The dance is starting… now! Get ready, everybody!” she cheered, and with a clap of her tambourine, music flowed through the air. Immediately, the area was brimming with life, dragons were already spinning and hopping around amongst each other; some taking to the skies to dance.

The SandWing reared up, spreading his wings, “let’s dance, Winter!” he chirped, and Winter rose as well with a small smile. Qibli took the IceWing’s talons in his own, the subtle clash of warm and cold sending a tingle down his spine. The two dragons twirled together, flapping their wings playfully and touching down on the ground every so often to prance around one another.

The two were entirely focussed on each other at that point, even as the music thumped in their ears. They hardly noticed when the SkyWing had started singing; her voice a mere whisper in the wind to them. They laughed as they let loose, grabbing at the other to either catch their balance or perform another spin. Tails would twine, wings would brush. Teeth would show, faces would flush. The dance continued for a pleasant eternity.

* * *

As the sun rose, Winter and Qibli exited the Scorpion Den in a fit of giggles. Qibli had a wing wrapped tightly around the IceWing as he playfully nudged shoulders with him.

“Pff, stop that, sand snorter! You’re so annoying!” Winter complained, his face dusted blue. Despite his faux annoyance, he had a smile tugging at his lips.

Qibli smirked, then chuckled. “I know, but you love it.” he joked. He felt the same warmth as he always did around Winter, except stronger. It was nice.

“No, I love _you_ ,” the IceWing quipped before his face flushed cerulean and he scuttled away. “I- I shouldn’t have said that, um, I’m sorry-” he stuttered, then yelped when he felt a talon on his shoulder. His eyes darted over his friend’s face, watching it soften with confusion.

“Hey- Winter-” Qibli cooed, trying to soothe the IceWing. His face burned a subtle crimson. “Winter, calm down, hold on,”

Winter’s ears folded down, and he took a step back. He became defensive; his tone sharper than he meant it to be “What?”

Qibli winced at that but kept his composure. “I love you too Winter. Please, you don’t have to panic.” he smiled softly when he saw the IceWing’s ears go back up and his eyes lighten.

“You don’t think I’m weird..?”

“No!” Qibli stepped closer to Winter, “why would I?”

“I just- I just accidentally confessed that I’m in love with you… you don’t think that’s weird, or creepy?”

“And I also just confessed. Nothing can change that I love you, Winter.”

Winter couldn’t help but grin. He rushed forward, throwing his wings around Qibli and nuzzling into the SandWing’s neck, relishing the normally uncanny warmth and being careful not to poke an eye out with his spiky crest. Qibli hugged him back, only stepping back to touch their noses together.

Winter giggled, then looked to the side. “Does… does that make us boyfriends, Qibli?” he asked, and Qibli chuckled.

“Do you want to be?”

“Yes.”

“Then we’re boyfriends!” the SandWing chirped. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against Winter’s smiling at the delighted hum coming from his new boyfriend. He smirked, whispering, “I guess the SeaWing was right, babe.”

“Oh, _shut up_!” Winter roared, shoving Qibli’s chest. They both laughed, only stopping when they heard Moonwatcher clear her throat.

“Am I interrupting something?” she asked innocently, giggling when they scrambled away from each other. When neither answered, Moon let out a sigh.

“Gosh, finally. You two have been pining for each other for like, a year. It was so obvious.”

The two blushed at that. Moonwatcher laughed.

**Author's Note:**

> I listened to this while writing the dance scene! Sorry that the quality declined a bit at the end, I was in a rush to finally finish this.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fNq6SoI6AQ


End file.
